Democracy-plank-ballot-access
LIBERTARIAN KEN KRAWCHUK CONDEMNS JUDGE'S RULING AGAINST FAIR BALLOT ACCESS News from April 9, 2006 from Ken Krawchuk at 215-881-9696 Ken Krawchuk, erstwhile potential Libertarian candidate for US Senate this year, condemned a federal court decision which effectively bars him from appearing on the November ballot. On Wednesday, US District Judge John E. Jones denied Krawchuk's motion to find Pennsylvania's unfair ballot access laws unconstitutional. Current law requires third party candidates such as Krawchuk to collect 67,070 signatures to appear on the statewide November ballot in 2006, more than thirty-three times as many as the 2,000 signatures the law requires of the two old parties. "I am not surprised", Krawchuk asserted upon hearing about Jones' outrageous ruling. "I've long since lost faith in our judicial system, and this is only one more example. Fair and equal elections in Pennsylvania are dead." Judge Jones argued that the state has a right to prevent "ballot clutter" by requiring 67,070 signatures. Krawchuk scoffed at the notion. "Other states with fair ballot access, such as Delaware, do not experience the problems with 'ballot clutter' that Judge Jones cites. What planet is he living on? They held an election in Israel last month with ten parties on the ballot. Aren't Pennsylvanians as politically astute as Israelis? Judge Jones' ruling is an insult to all Pennsylvania voters." "If Judge Jones thinks he can limit the number of third party candidates in the general election because of 'ballot clutter', why also shouldn't he limit the number of candidates in the primaries? I think we should expand the voters' choices, not restrict them." "To paraphrase Emma Goldman, 'If being on the ballot changed anything, they would make it illegal.' Well, now they have. This year more than ever, we need a third option in the voting booth. But forcing third parties to collect thirty-three times as many signatures as the two old parties means that it's not going to happen." "Bob Casey never had a chance to defeat me. Rick Santorum never had a chance to defeat me. Judge Jones defeated me. And the real losers here are the voters of Pennsylvania." Krawchuk plans to appeal the decision. "For whatever that's worth", he added. He also plans to continue pursuing a legislative remedy through the Voters' Choice Act, www.PaBallotAccess.org. Founded in 1971, the Libertarian Party is the third largest political party in the state and the nation, with over 600 elected and appointed officials currently serving in office nationwide, and 73 in Pennsylvania, more than any other state except California. Like the Founding Fathers, Libertarians believe that you have a God-given, inalienable right to conduct your life as you see fit, without interference, so long as you respect the rights and property of others. For more information about the Libertarian Party, the public may contact the Libertarian Party of Pennsylvania at www.LpPa.org or (800) R-RIGHTS, or the National Libertarian Party at Lp.org or (202) 333-0008. The Krawchuk campaign can be contacted at 215-881-9696, inquiries@KenK.org, or c/o PO Box 260, Cheltenham Penna., 19012. category:democracy